Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Friday, May 18
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
8:30pm
Middle Tennessee
39-21
0
at
8
No. 12 Alabama
34-18
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6
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H
E
Middle Tennessee
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Alabama
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8
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Photo by: VASHA HUNT
Raiders Fall to No. 12 Alabama in NCAA Regional Opener
5/19/2018 12:46:00 AM | Softball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Middle Tennessee's momentum from winning its first Conference USA softball title didn't carry over enough to the first game of its NCAA regional, as the Blue Raiders fell 8-0 to Alabama Friday night.
Playing at the Crimson Tide's raucous Rhoads Stadium, MT (39-21) fell down early and never recovered against the No. 12 Tide (34-18), the regional host.
"Didn't turn out the way we wanted it to tonight," Blue Raider head coach Jeff Breeden said. "Hats off to Coach [Patrick] Murphy and his team. They're a very good team."
It looked early like Middle Tennessee would push the regional favorites, as sophomore leadoff hitter Summer Burgess slapped the first pitch of the game from Alabama's Courtney Gettins to left field for a double.
That's about as close as the blue and white would get to scoring, though.
Senior Kristin Uselton walked two batters later with one out, then Gettins got two flyouts to get out of the jam unscathed with runners at first and second.
It was far from the only jam Gettins would have to pitch out of, as Middle Tennessee had at least one batter reach base in every inning but the sixth. The problem was getting those baserunners home.
"Timely hitting was not our forte tonight," Breeden said. "I don't know if it was the moment of being in the regional finally sank in … but we surely didn't get timely hits. When you get runners in scoring position, you have to drive them in. That was our downfall tonight."
Blue Raider starter Cori Jennings took the circle in the bottom of the first eager to keep her hot streak rolling after being named Conference USA Tournament MVP, but the Crimson Tide lineup proved too tough.
After Jennings plunked the leadoff batter, who stole second a few pitches later, a comebacker hit by the second Alabama hitter smacked the senior southpaw on the knee before careening by the first base dugout. It went for a double as the first run of the game scored with still no outs registered.
Jennings would stay in the game, but the Crimson Tide added another run in the first inning then chased her in the third when they scored five times more on four singles and a double.
Senior Gretchen Greer relieved Jennings in the third and settled things down until giving up a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth to end the game in the mercy rule. She finished with 2.2 innings pitched, giving up one hit and one run while striking out one. Jennings gave up seven runs (six earned) in 2.1 innings with two strikeouts.
"I think [Jennings] was ok [after the comebacker]," Breeden said. "Maybe not her best stuff, but she was ok."
At the plate, Middle Tennessee was led by a 2-for-3 night from Burgess. Senior Precious Birdsong, sophomore Lexi Cushing and junior Kirstyn Cuccia each had a hit.
The loss means the Blue Raiders enter win-or-go-home territory. They'll take on Oregon State (28-27) on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Rhoads Stadium with the winner advancing to play the loser of Alabama and Wisconsin at 6:30.
The Beavers lost in extra innings 9-3 to Wisconsin on Friday. They've never matched up with MT.
"We've bounced back all year long," Breeden said. "I told them that all year long we've dusted ourselves off if we've gotten beat and bounced right back. That's what I'm expecting out of them tomorrow."
Playing at the Crimson Tide's raucous Rhoads Stadium, MT (39-21) fell down early and never recovered against the No. 12 Tide (34-18), the regional host.
"Didn't turn out the way we wanted it to tonight," Blue Raider head coach Jeff Breeden said. "Hats off to Coach [Patrick] Murphy and his team. They're a very good team."
It looked early like Middle Tennessee would push the regional favorites, as sophomore leadoff hitter Summer Burgess slapped the first pitch of the game from Alabama's Courtney Gettins to left field for a double.
That's about as close as the blue and white would get to scoring, though.
Senior Kristin Uselton walked two batters later with one out, then Gettins got two flyouts to get out of the jam unscathed with runners at first and second.
It was far from the only jam Gettins would have to pitch out of, as Middle Tennessee had at least one batter reach base in every inning but the sixth. The problem was getting those baserunners home.
"Timely hitting was not our forte tonight," Breeden said. "I don't know if it was the moment of being in the regional finally sank in … but we surely didn't get timely hits. When you get runners in scoring position, you have to drive them in. That was our downfall tonight."
Blue Raider starter Cori Jennings took the circle in the bottom of the first eager to keep her hot streak rolling after being named Conference USA Tournament MVP, but the Crimson Tide lineup proved too tough.
After Jennings plunked the leadoff batter, who stole second a few pitches later, a comebacker hit by the second Alabama hitter smacked the senior southpaw on the knee before careening by the first base dugout. It went for a double as the first run of the game scored with still no outs registered.
Jennings would stay in the game, but the Crimson Tide added another run in the first inning then chased her in the third when they scored five times more on four singles and a double.
Senior Gretchen Greer relieved Jennings in the third and settled things down until giving up a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth to end the game in the mercy rule. She finished with 2.2 innings pitched, giving up one hit and one run while striking out one. Jennings gave up seven runs (six earned) in 2.1 innings with two strikeouts.
"I think [Jennings] was ok [after the comebacker]," Breeden said. "Maybe not her best stuff, but she was ok."
At the plate, Middle Tennessee was led by a 2-for-3 night from Burgess. Senior Precious Birdsong, sophomore Lexi Cushing and junior Kirstyn Cuccia each had a hit.
The loss means the Blue Raiders enter win-or-go-home territory. They'll take on Oregon State (28-27) on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Rhoads Stadium with the winner advancing to play the loser of Alabama and Wisconsin at 6:30.
The Beavers lost in extra innings 9-3 to Wisconsin on Friday. They've never matched up with MT.
"We've bounced back all year long," Breeden said. "I told them that all year long we've dusted ourselves off if we've gotten beat and bounced right back. That's what I'm expecting out of them tomorrow."
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Courtney Gettins (14-4)
L: Jennings, Cori (21-10)
Batting:
2B: Burgess, Summer 1
Base Running:
SB: Burgess, Summer 1
Batting:
2B: Demi Turner 1 ; Bailey Hemphill 1
HR: Peyton Grantham 1
RBI: Demi Turner 2 ; Bailey Hemphill 3 ; Caroline Hardy 1 ; Peyton Grantham 1
SH: Reagan Dykes 1 ; Sydney Booker 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Elissa Brown 2 ; Demi Turner 2 ; Kaylee Tow 1 ; Bailey Hemphill 1 ; Reagan Dykes 1 ; Peyton Grantham 1
SB: Elissa Brown 2
CS: Gabby Callaway 1
HBP: Elissa Brown 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball1B
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
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